


Marius is Literally the Only Person Who Takes the Ban Seriously

by addictedtofiction



Series: Take My Hand [3]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2013-04-02
Packaged: 2017-12-07 06:40:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/745471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addictedtofiction/pseuds/addictedtofiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eponine had always thought the Contact Ban was one of those laws everyone ignored. Like stop-signs and littering.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marius is Literally the Only Person Who Takes the Ban Seriously

The Contact Ban goes into effect when Eponine is four years old. Not that it affects her, in fact, she doesn’t even hear about it until she starts school a year and a half later. Even then, it’s not something that touches her outside the cement walls of her classroom. Her parents have never cared about what was technically legal, and they certainly don’t care about the Contact Ban.

****

This is something that is made incredibly clear to her the first time she tries to tell her father he can’t hit her -can’t touch her at all, it’s illegal, you can’t do it.

****

The Contact Ban doesn’t benefit them, so they ignore it. Eponine learns to do the same.

****

It’s not until she meets Marius that she realizes not everyone lives by this philosophy. Marius is in her fourth period class -History to the Modern Day. (Years later, when Eponine follows Marius to a meeting of Les Amis, Enjolras will rage against the propaganda that is taught in those classes. Until then Eponine doesn’t regard them as anything more than an escape from home.)

****

They’re in the library, doing research for a group project where they’re supposed to talk about some horrific event that had could have been prevented had the Ban been in effect, and Eponine’s hand brushes up against Marius’ when the reach for the same book. It’s such a small gesture that she doesn’t even think about it, but Marius jumps back as if he’s been burned.

****

“Oh god, I- I’m so sorry, ‘Ponine. It was an accident,” his eyes cast about like he’s looking for someone to turn himself in to and Eponine smiles at him.

****

“It’s fine. Really, I won’t tell if you don’t.” The way he sags against the back of the chair in relief makes Eponine want to hug him. Which is only partially because of the colour red she knows he would turn.

****

The day after they hand in the project Marius runs up to her after class and smiles at her with the type of carefree grin Eponine’s not sure she’s ever worn. And maybe Eponine has to stop herself from taking his hand in the middle of the hallway.

****

She thinks though, that maybe Marius, with his big grin and his ridiculous insistence of following the rules is worth it.

* * *

 

It’s because of Marius’ tendency to follow even the stupidest rules (for god’s sake, the boy will only cross the street at a crosswalk) that the fact that he’s attending a group that fights against the Contact Ban comes as such a shock to Eponine.

****

He whispers the details to her in a tone so hushed she has trouble hearing it. Telling her, “I’m not asking you to break the law, ‘Ponine. Really. But Courf wouldn’t invite me to anything dangerous and I just....”

****

He trails off, looking more than a little lost, but Eponine knows exactly what he’s saying.  He needs her there. Needs her to reassure him that he’s making the right decision and that his friends haven’t gotten themselves into they type of trouble they won’t be able to escape from.

****

Eponine has never been needed like that. Her father needs her for his heists and schemes, her siblings need her to take care of them.

****

But Marius needs her to be her friend and she’s still not used to that.

  
It’s how she ends up at the meeting, filled with people she doesn’t know, that she’s pretty sure will end up all in jail at best.


End file.
